The Indianapolis 500 Has a Sponsor for the First Time Ever

The 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May will be filled with the history-making drivers and cars that made the event a world-wide phenomenon. It will also add another layer of history to the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" with the signing of the first presenting sponsor for the Indy 500, as first reported by RACER.com's Robin Miller.

D-A Lubricant, which first appeared as a sponsor on Indy 500 cars in 1955, and returned in 2015 as an associate sponsor on the Honda-powered Indy car driven by Graham Rahal, is expected to be announced by Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a multi-year agreement with the legendary racetrack. The company's line of PennGrade 1 oil will be included in the race's official title, according to Miller, creating the "100th Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade1."

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Presenting sponsors for motor racing events have become the norm, but with a tradition-filled event like the Indy 500, seeking direct sponsorship branding had been prohibited until recently when the track owners agreed to search for more ways to capitalize on the 500's value.